Princeton High School Ranks Third In State For SAT Scores

Candace Braun

Princeton High School ranked third in the state SAT score average for the second year in a row, according to the recently published New Jersey State Report Cards for the 2003-04 school year. With an average score of 1237, the school advanced 22 points from last year's average score, and 28 points above its average score for the 2001-02 school year. The state average for 2003-04 was 946. Scores are based on 100 percent of Princeton students taking the test, and 73 percent of the state's students.

"We're very pleased with the results," said Lew Goldstein, assistant superintendent for human resources, public information, and community relations for Princeton. "Even though the SAT is just a snapshot picture of one day in school, it shows what's going on educationally in our schools."

Millburn High School held to the top ranking for the second year in a row, with an average score of 1247, and Montgomery took second place again with a score of 1244.

The average math score for Princeton students was 626, compared to the state's average of 516. The school was well above the state average in verbal scores, with 611, compared to the state's 500.

Princeton proved to have a higher math average than Montgomery's 615; however, Montgomery excelled in verbal, with an average score of 629.

Lawrence High School ranked significantly lower than its neighboring schools, with an average score of 1063, based on a math score of 543 and a verbal score of 520. Hopewell Valley's SAT scores weren't made available on the state's published report card.

Princeton held the highest scores in the state in 1998-99 and 2000-01, but began falling as Montgomery began preparing students with an after-school SAT prep class, which has intensified over the years.

According to Mr. Goldstein, Princeton isn't disappointed with the report card results, even though the district is no longer number one. Closing the minority achievement gap is Princeton's main focus right now, he said: "You really should be judged on how well you do for the most needy students."

SStudents Excelling

Advanced placement (AP) participation has continued to increase in Princeton, with the total number of AP students taking the AP test in the 2003-04 school year more than doubling from the previous year.

"That's a higher standard of value that colleges look at," said Mr. Goldstein, adding that for some students taking the AP test can prove more valuable in their college education than SAT scores, as students who do well on the test can receive college credit for the course.

"We're very pleased to offer the number of [AP] courses that we do," he said.

The graduation rate also significantly increased in Princeton, to 99 percent in 2004, up from 96 percent the previous year. Approximately 84 percent of Princeton students went on to a four-year college or university in 2004, as compared to 75 percent in 2003. In Montgomery, the number of students increased two percent to 87 percent last year.

The ratio of students per faculty members increased acutely over the last few years in Princeton; however, the faculty turnover rate was nine percent, which is two percent above the state average. Faculty and administrator credentials in Princeton also decreased over the last three school years, most specifically those staff members with a Ph.D., which decreased from 10 percent in the 2001-02 school year, to five percent in 2003-04.

Teacher Salaries

Princeton's median administrative salary was $10,000 above the state this past year, at $108,000, while the years of experience per faculty member stayed at 21, compared to New Jersey's average of 25 years. In Montgomery, the average administrative salary was $98,000, up $5,000 from the previous year.

Faculty salaries in Princeton were also higher than the state's average at $54,000, with an average of six years of experience. Montgomery's average faculty salary was $42,000, with an average of six year's of experience. The state's average salary was $50,000, with an average of 10 years of experience.

Language diversity was rather low at Princeton High School this past year, with approximately three percent of students speaking Spanish, and two percent speaking Mandarin. That level was higher at John Witherspoon Middle School, where six percent of students spoke Spanish, and almost three percent spoke Mandarin.

Montgomery listed approximately three percent of students speaking Mandarin and less than one percent speaking Spanish. Both Lawrence and Hopewell had minimal amounts of students who spoke a foreign language.

Other statistical information can be found on the website for the New Jersey Department of Education, at http://education.state.nj.us/